I learned something valuable today after doing some reading on personal finances at http://money.cnn.com. I thought I was doing really well because not too long ago, I developed some very clear financial goals. They were realistic for the time, but they’re no longer applicable due to the present state of the economy. What I learned was, you’ve got to be prepared to be somewhat flexible with your financial goals if you want to be able to stay on track. This is especially true with your short-term goals, which will undoubtedly be hit the hardest by economic downturns.